1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to sample handling tools, such as robotically-manipulated pipetting devices.
2. Related Art
Robotically manipulated tools having a plurality of pipette channels are widely used, for example, in proteomic and genomic research. These devices are used to move material samples both to and from a variety of different work areas, such as microtiter trays, gels having separated DNA fragments, and other material holding apparatus. Some such tools may have a plurality of needles, e.g., having attached pipette tips, arranged in an array that corresponds to wells in a microtiter tray, such as the commonly-known 96-well or 384-well plate. The array of needles, when arranged to correspond with all of the wells in a microtiter tray, may allow material samples to be simultaneously deposited in, and removed from, wells in the microtiter tray, thus increasing the speed at which the samples in the microtiter tray may be processed.